About
Jonathan Toms serves as an Honorary Research Fellow at the School of History and Art History, University of East Anglia, specializing in twentieth-century British psychiatry history with emphasis on learning disabilities policy, mental hygiene movements, and therapeutic communities.
His research centers on the intersection of psychological, sociological, and political theories in mental health policy development, particularly examining rights strategies for learning-disabled populations and historical shifts in therapeutic approaches. Current projects include an article re-evaluating mid-20th century policy changes for learning-disabled individuals in England and Wales, alongside archival collaboration with Norwich’s BUILD charity for their 2027 60th-anniversary preparations.
Toms’ publications in Social History of Medicine and Medical History reveal interdisciplinary trends analyzing organizational advocacy (MIND, National Association for Mental Health) through discursive transformation frameworks and citizenship rights applications within mental health contexts.
Funded by the Wellcome Trust, his completed research includes projects on the National Association for Mental Health’s legislative contributions (1946-1967) and MIND’s campaigning strategies (1970-1983). He maintains active community engagement through BUILD charity’s disability-focused archival initiatives.
